The Singing Boston Dog Training

03/26/2023

If you have a dog, you pick up poo.
If you don't want to pick up poo, don't have a dog.
That is all.

03/25/2023

There are so few hotels who no longer accept pets and it's because messes are left behind.

Consider bringing sheets and blankets when you travel to cover the comforters. It will prevent the comforters from getting dog hair and dirty paw prints.

I also make it a point to go on the hotel's website or Trip Advisor to let them know the reason I stayed at their hotel is because they accept dogs and to them then for doing so.

03/24/2023

Today's find upon doing the pill check in the hotel room.....No pills this time but 2 screws, an open safety pin, a hair tire, a plastic cap and a dust ball the size of a small rabbit!!

Before letting your dogs loose in any hotel, AirBNB, etc. always check the room thoroughly . Pay close attention to the bed sides as people will take pills before bed as well as the bathroom. But always look everywhere!

02/08/2023

Let's hear your best howl offs!!!

01/25/2023

This is worth the listen. Please keep this in mind when thinking of the next breed or beed mix you are considering.

01/24/2023

Don't be afraid to be your dog's advocate!

All Dogs Love Me.

I've slapped people's arms. I've said clearly "she does not want you to pat her." I've stepped between people and her. I've said "please don't pat her." I have tied yellow ribbons on her leash, I have bought her a bandana that says "Do not pet." I have been her advocate.

"Can I pat your dog?"
"No"
Meanwhile, the hand is already extended towards the dog.

It is frustrating how people don't listen, to dogs or to other people.

This dog will bite. She ended up with us because she did.

But the beautiful thing is she communicates VERY CLEARLY that she does not want to be patted by strangers. She is clear on her boundaries but because "you" are not listening to her she will bite you when you pat her despite her giving you several signs she does not want to be patted. Despite me telling "you" not to pat her.

She does not approach people, she moves away or sits off to the side behind me or beside me, she puts her ears back, she lifts her lip, she wall eyes. She may as well have a neon sign flashing that says "LEAVE ME ALONE". But you know what? No one does.

"I've been around dogs all my life, they all love me."
"No sir, this one does not, and she's telling you it quite clearly."

Then there's the treat people. "I'll just give her a treat so she knows I am nice, she was probably abused."

No ma'am, she doesn't want your treat. You can't bribe her to like you. And it doesn't matter if she was abused, it doesn't matter what her past or present was, she doesn't want to be patted. "You" and your treats aren't going to be a magic pill to fix that.

So, she's muzzle trained. And she wears one in public. And as much as I am pro muzzle, she should not have to.

She should not have to wear a muzzle because people should respect her signals that she doesn't want to be patted (especially those who have had dogs all their lives and think all dogs love them). People should listen when I say not to pat her. But they don't. So she wears a muzzle so she can't bite people when they push past me, ignore me and ignore her signals that she doesn't want them in her space. I protect her, to the best of my ability, but she wears the muzzle because if that "dogs love me" dude pushes past me fast enough and shoves his hand in her face, I know he's going to be the first person to say she's vicious and blame her for the bite.

If your dog isn't comfortable being patted by strangers, then don't make it. If your dog doesn't like company in your house, then leave your dog in a safe place away from visitors. Don't approach people's dogs without their permission.

Learn and understand dog communication skills and respect them. We get a lot of emails asking us to take dogs that 'suddenly' turned on the owner/family member and bit them - in almost 100% of cases the dog warned the person, but they ignored the warning.

Dogs have boundaries. They need to learn to accept care related handling, which is best achieved by making nail trims, grooming and body checks low stress and positive. They do not need to accept hugs, kisses, patting from strangers or family members. As owners/handlers we need to advocate for them, to protect them from those who don't listen. Train them to be comfortable in muzzles, because when no one listens, muzzles protect them from being blamed for making the wrong choice - in many municipalities a minor bite is enough for a dog to be reported to the authorities. While I know my dog would not be wrong for biting, it's my responsibility to protect her from those who refuse to listen.

I also don't want random strangers patting my friendly dogs. My older girl was a therapy dog, but I still don't want you to pat her without my permission. I work with dogs and I don’t pat every one and I listen to them and respect what kind of interaction they want. So, listen to dogs, your own and other people's.

01/02/2023

Sorry we've been MIA!!! More to come....from Florida!!

Happy New Year, ya'll!

07/01/2022

Thank you for sharing, Raden Dog Training!

This is SO important and could cause dogs and people to be injured. PLEASE abide by this!

06/12/2022

The puppy game...stuff your ball under the couch, then bark, cry and scratch until your human comes and gets it out for you, thereby engaging with you.

If outside and there is no couch, improvise with baby gate.

Balls now take a nap on the counter when balls end up under the couch.

How to curb cute but naughty behaviors, although based on the hole scratched into the couch, I waited too long before "napping" the balls

06/02/2022

Check out our video on my favorite way to train the agility teeter!

01/22/2022

It's a great confidence building exercise to teach your dog to be comfortable on things that move, even if you never plan on doing something like dog agility.

If you're going to do something like agility, it's absolutely critical that your dog become comfortable on the Teeter.

01/18/2022

Did you know you can start your agility training as soon as your puppy comes home????

Watch our video to learn about the importance of flat work and some beginning exercises you can do with your puppy or your adult beginning agility dog!

01/12/2022

ANYTHING can become a fun toy if you make it so! This means if you are training a behavior and don't have a treat or actual toy with you, you probably have something around you that you can make work.

Notice how Nick makes sure he keeps everyone on the rug and not the slick flooring.

13 year old Ellie cannot see out of her left eye yet he still safely incorporated her into the game. And 6 month old Gerti is starting to learn the fun of wrapping paper tubes!

12/27/2021

It's really important to routinely stretch your dog, either before/after a workout or as part of maintenancecare. Our short video gives you some ideas on some easy stretches you can do right now!

Unless you gave been trained, it's important to not manually manipulate your dog into positions but instead, gently lure them.

12/11/2021

Re-posting, as we all move inside for the winter.

Did you know that there are many essential oils that are actually highly TOXIC to dogs???

According to Cabbagetown Pet Clinic, many essential oils are straight-up toxic to pets. These are toxic whether they are applied to the skin, used in diffusers, or licked up in the case of a spill.

TOXIC oils to dogs (the list is different for cats so please do your research!) include:
Pennyroyal oil
Pine oil
Tea tree oil
Wintergreen oil
Cinnamon oil
Citrus oil
Peppermint oil
Sweet Birch oil
Ylang Ylang

Call your emergency vet immediately if you think your dog has been in contact, in any form, with these oils. Do NOT induce vomiting if your dog ingests these oils!

Common symptoms of essential oil poisoning:
watery nose or eyes
redness of the lips, gums or skin
vomiting and drooling
difficulty breathing or panting; coughing or wheezing
lethargy, tremors or wobbliness
low heart rate
low body temperature

Let's keep our dogs safe by being very aware of potential dangers in their environment!

12/10/2021

11/04/2021

Sometimes, you have to retrain behaviors. Either we've let bad behaviors accidentally slide or in the case in the video, I intentionally trained it!!

It is NOT the dog's fault in either case! Pit type thinking cap on and look for positive rather than punitive ways to retrain the behavior.

Any questions, just let me know!!

11/01/2021

Teach your pup early on that humans can and will take their food, without the puppy growling or making a fuss. It could literally be a life saver some day!

NOTE: If you have a dog with food aggression problems, please seek the assistance of a trained, positive behaviorist!

10/27/2021

We had to make a video showing us practicing this week's homework.

Your training sessions should be short and JOYFUL!!

10/26/2021

Train good crate manners when they are young so instead of a lifetime of baking and carrying on, you have a lifetime of a dog who is quiet and calm in their crate.

Remember...the habits you are building now, across the board, will help you create a wonderful family member who is a joy.

10/13/2021

If you see your puppy looking like the first picture, it's nap time!

Just like young children, puppies will benefit from actually being put down for a nap. Have a quiet place for them where they feel protected and have nothing to do but sleep.

Those growing bodies need their ZZZZZ's! 😴😴😴

10/12/2021

It's tempting to let naughty but cute behaviors slide when they are puppies.

But those behaviors escalate quickly and the longer the are allowed to continue, the harder they will be to extinguish!

Behold my consequences when I let naughty but cute continue. 🤣🤣🤣

And yes, we have already been working on extinguishing this behavior!

10/05/2021

Think about making or buying a wobble board, even if you are not going to do performance events.

It teaches your dog to become more confident and comfortable on uncertain or unstable footing.

If you are going to agility, then you definitely need one! It's fantastic practice for the upcoming teeter.

A wobble board is just a board with something firmly attached to the bottom so it moves when stepped on.

The one in the video was purchased from FitPAWS but I also made one in the past by cutting a softball in half and Gorilla gluing it to the bottom of the board I had painted.

The one in the video is for small dogs-- they also make a larger size for big dogs.

09/21/2021

Did you know that pumpkin is magical??? 🎃 🎃

It helps your dog with BOTH constipation and diarrhea. Whaaaatt???

It's sugar pumpkin season so roast some up for your dogs.

Carefully cut in half and scoop out the seeds. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and add enough water to cover the bottom of the sheet.

Put cut pumpkins cut side down and roast at 350 for about an hour, or until a fork easily pokes through the outer shell.

Let cool completely, remove from skin, then puree it in food processor or blender, that's it!!! We then freeze in small quantities by putting in a baggie (which we clean and reuse next year) & squeeze the air out. You can also freeze in brown waxed paper sandwich bags & push flat for easy storage.

If you want to buy canned pumpkin instead, be sure to buy just pumpkin, NOT the canned pumpkin pie mix.

Give about a teaspoon a day to small dogs and about a tablespoon for larger dogs.

Your dogs tummies will thank you!!!